Monday's Child  Dystopia  Part Two  Needed Time
by Pizza the Hut
Summary: The group are left reeling from the aftermath of the explosion and the loss of one of their number.  help comes from the future, and the truth about James is revealled.
1. Chapter 1

Monday's Child – Dystopia

The concept of the Tomorrow People and the characters persisting from the original series are the intellectual property of Roger Damon Price.

Part Two – The Needed Time

Chapter One

Tania came into Ed's office. "Ed, there's a kid at reception" said Tania.

"I've no time for it, Tan" said Ed. "Tell him I'm too busy." Ed had been feeling the strain of the recent events, and although on the outside, he tried to give a tough image, he was still traumatised by the disappearance of Carol.

"He's very insistent" said Tania.

"Has this kid got a name?" asked Ed, throwing down his pen and taking off his spectacles.

"Lyndon Parry" said Tania.

Ed rose from his desk. "Why didn't you say that in the first place" he said as he pushed past Tania. Ed looked at Lyndon for a moment. It was almost like looking into the past, looking at what Lyndon was like before he broke out. "All right son?"

"Yeah. All right" said Lyndon, unconvincingly. "I . . . I just came to say thanks. Thanks for saving my mum." With that, the tears that had been welling up in his eyes were suddenly released.

"Come on son" said Ed, hugging Lyndon. "It's all right now."

"I just can't stop thinking about it, Ed" said Lyndon. "I can't stop thinking about what happened to Auntie Carol."

"I know, I know" said Ed. "Now let's stop these tears shall we? You don't see Slash crying like that do you? We'll just ask Tania to make us a nice cup of tea, and we'll talk about it, okay?"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Elizabeth answered her doorbell. It was Helen.

"Hi Helen" said Elizabeth. "You don't have to use the door, you know. You could just jaunt in."

"I know" said Helen, being shown in, "but I'm 'old school'. Besides, with TIM being broken down it was taking me ages. Gave up in the end,"

"So how did you get here?" asked Elizabeth.

"Bus" said Helen. "How's the lodger?"

"He's a strange one" said Elizabeth. "Come and have a look." Elizabeth showed Helen into the lounge. In the corner of the room, James was on his knees in front of the television, with his face pressed against the screen. "He just keeps playing that stupid Austin Powers DVD of Ed's."

"Hi James" said Helen. "Having a good day?"

"Yes thanks Helen" said James. "I'm like Austin."

Elizabeth took Helen into the kitchen to make a cup of tea and talk privately. "That's all he does. Sometimes, he gets up in the middle of the night to watch that bloody Austin Powers DVD, and always with his face pressed up against the screen. He'll ruin his eyes. And that's all you can get out of him – 'I'm like Austin' all the time. He's beginning to do my head in" said Elizabeth.

"I wonder what he means by that?" said Helen.

"Haven't the faintest" said Elizabeth.

"He's very strong, telepathically I mean. I could definitely feel him walking up the path" said Helen.

"Oh, he's certainly one of us" said Elizabeth "but even more so. I've seen lots of Tomorrow People breaking out, but his psychic aura is stronger than any I've seen before."

"Wonder where he's from?" said Helen.

"I can't imagine" said Elizabeth. "Gail said she found him hiding under her kitchen table the other night, eating a frozen strawberry cheesecake."

"Cheesecake!" exclaimed Helen.

"Out of the freezer? He must have been hungry. The house was locked up for the night. He must have jaunted in" said Elizabeth. "She said he looked 'other worldly' and thought he could find some sort of kindred spirit at the meeting. Anyhow, how's John?"

"Not the same. It's really hit him bad" said Helen. "He's gone very quiet – shut himself off. I'm really worried about him. I've never seen him like this before. It's like he's just given up."

"Well, he and Carol had been friends for a long time" said Elizabeth. "When someone dies suddenly or tragically like that, it takes time to readjust and get back in the swing of things. Tell him to drop by the Lab, we'd all love to see him. And besides, we'd really appreciate his help with TIM. We've tried our best, but nothing seems to work."

"I'll get Ed to have a word" said Elizabeth.

Just then, James looked round the doorway. "Do I make you horny?" said James, imitating Austin Powers. "Well do I? Do I?"

"James!" exclaimed Elizabeth.

"Oh, behave!" said James.

"No! You behave! Right, that does it!" said Elizabeth storming into the lounge, ejecting the DVD from the player and putting it back into its case. "This is confiscated!"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

John was sitting alone by the riverside, deep in thought. His concentration was broken by a familiar voice.

"Oi! Dixon! Where you been?" It was Ed. "Forgotten who your friends are, Johnny boy?"

"Hello Ed" said John. "Just needed some time out, that's all."

"Well there's time out and there's time out" said Ed, joining John. "It's been a week, you know".

"I know it's been a week" replied John.

"Well?" said Ed.

"Well what?" asked John.

"Look, mate, I know you're upset. We're all upset" said Ed. "I know I didn't know Carol that well, but she always struck me as a top bird."

"You're lucky she never heard you refer to her as a top bird! You'd never be allowed to forget it" said John. "She was a lot tougher than she looked. We saved the world just here you know. Right on that spot just on the other side, me and Carol. And Kenny and Stephen. You met Stephen briefly, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember Stephen" said Ed. "So you go back a long way, you and Carol?"

"Oh yes, years. Long before I even knew Elizabeth. Can't believe she's gone" said John.

Ed paused for a minute before speaking. "Were you and Carol ever . . . you know?"

"Ever what?" asked John.

"You know" said Ed. "Bobbin' on with her."

"Bobbin' on?" said John. "Oh God no, nothing like that! No, no, we were just friends that's all. You see, I was rather a nerdy, bookish teenager, into the latest scientific developments. I never looked at Carol like that. And before you ask, I never looked ay your Elizabeth that way either."

"So you think there's something wrong with my missus?" said Ed, trying to lighten the situation.

"No, not at all! Liz is lovely, you don't need me to tell you that" said John. He paused before continuing. "It's just that I can't help feeling this is my entire fault. If I'd not kept us together as a group, if we'd just lived normal lives, and if . . . well Carol would still be alive, wouldn't she?"

"So she didn't know her own mind?" said Ed.

"Of course she knew her own mind" replied John.

"So she could have walked out at any time?" said Ed.

"You obviously never tried to get Carol to do something she didn't want to" said John.

"So how's it your fault?" asked Ed.

"It's just when I think back. When I think about how we all, not just Carol, but all of us, could have lost our lives, well it scares me that's all" said John. "Maybe it'd be better if we weren't Tomorrow People."

"What're you saying?" said Ed.

"Maybe the worlds not ready for the Tomorrow People. Maybe we're trying to run before we're ready to crawl" said John. "Maybe it's time to bury the Tomorrow People right now."

"What a load of tosh" said Ed. "Anyway just imagine what would have happened if more people had been Tomorrow People. What if Fred West had been a Tomorrow Person? Or Peter Sutcliffe?"

"I suppose the people they killed might still be alive" said John. "But that's only a drop in the ocean."

"Okay, then what about Hitler?" said Ed.

"Hitler – a Tomorrow Person?" said John.

"Just think about it. Imagine if Hitler had been a Tomorrow Person. With West and Sutcliffe, you're talking about one or two dozen tops. Even if you chuck in Jack the Ripper, it doesn't exactly swell the ranks" said Ed. "So think how many lives would have been saved if Hitler were one of you lot? That's who you are. You're Hitler!"

"I don't think this conversation's going the way you want it to, Ed" said John. "Hitler indeed!"

"No I don't mean it like that. What I mean is you've got the chance here to make a difference, to do a bit of good instead of a bit of bad. Don't throw it all away" said Ed.

"I'm walking away from it. No more telepathy, no more jaunting. That's it" said John.

"Can you do that?" asked Ed.

"I've managed for a week, haven't I? replied John.

"I can't believe you're letting this get the better of you" said Ed.

"Then there's Julie Arnold" said John.

"Juilie?" replied Ed. "I don't think I know . . . ."

"Carol's best friend from school. They were even in a singing group together. 'The Smooch Sisters', they were called" said John with a laugh as he remembered.

"The Smooch Sisters?" said Ed. "Were they any good?"

"Julie was. If Carol depended on her singing voice for a living, she would have starved, God rest her soul" said John. "Inseparable, they were. That is, until Carol got kidnapped by this megalomaniac Sap from the future."

"From the future?" replied Ed.

"I don't really understand it myself" said John. "Effectively Carol went missing for a few days, and when she got back Julie was furious. She couldn't tell Julie what happened, and she couldn't even tell her about us. Added to that, the fact that since she broke out, she'd been spending more and more time with us and less time with her other friends including Julie, well it all came to a head, and they fell out. Carol never really came to terms with it. I suspect it was contributory in her decision to leave Earth. And that was the end of Carol's pop career, although as I said Julie was the one with the talent in that outfit. She still sings, makes a good living out of it. Uses her married name 'Halliday' professionally"

Ed thought for a minute. "Julie Halliday? You mean Carol knew Julie Halliday? Liz and I saw her last year! We're big fans!"

John looked down for a minute as Ed thought about what he'd just said. "Carol's dead and it's all my fault" said John.

"No it's not" said Ed. "Anyway, if she were still here and it was one of us who'd gone, do you think she'd give up?"

John thought for a minute. He remembered all the times when Carol had given the others a metaphorical kick up the backside when they weren't pulling their weight and offered them her strength when things seemed hopeless. "No, she'd probably tell us to pull ourselves together and make every effort count" said John.

"So why don't you. Consider it Carol's last advice to you" said Ed. "Besides, you're needed. You can't walk out now. Do you know what the girls are doing right now? They're trying to fix TIM."

"They'll never fix TIM" said John. "He's too far gone."

"That's not what Liz thinks" said Ed. "She's already got some basic functions out of him."

"How?" asked John.

"Clever girl, our Liz" said Ed.

"Has she aligned the synaptic cache properly, because if she doesn't, she'll just be wasting her time" said John.

"Don't ask me" said Ed. "Look, obviously you know what you're talking about. Liz will always try her best, but let's face it, she'll be bloody lucky if she gets anywhere at all."

"She's got to align the synaptic cache properly, otherwise the soul core will never engage" said John.

"Maybe you need to tell her yourself" said Ed.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

After several days of hard work, the Lab was beginning to look, if a little ragged in areas, more normal. Broken parts and furniture had been replaced, but TIM was still far from being back on line. Elizabeth, on a ladder, was examining circuits behind inspection panels as Janice sat at the table in front of TIM's primary control keyboard, with Clive at her side. The atmosphere was a little tense.

"Try it now" said Elizabeth. Janice typed in the login command and pressed the return key. The view screen simply flashed red several times.

"It's no use" said Janice. "Are you sure this command is correct?"

"Maybe you should try a bit harder!" barked John.

"Steady on, pal" said Clive calmly. "Everybody's trying their best."

"Sorry, Clive, you're quite right" replied John. "Sorry Janice, Elizabeth. Has anybody seen Rachel?"

"She's taken James shopping" said Elizabeth.

"Shopping?" exclaimed Anthony as he fed a cable through a bulkhead. "At a time like this?"

"He needed some clothes" explained Elizabeth. "Again please Janice." Janice re-entered the login command and pressed return. The screen flashed a number of times again, with little progress.

"So is this the sign of a blossoming romance?" asked Janice.

"Romance? With James" said Elizabeth. "I doubt it. He's not exactly conventional. Anyway, they've got Helen playing strawberry."

"Gooseberry" said Ed. "It's gooseberry."

"I said gooseberry!" said Elizabeth.

"No you didn't" said Ed.

"Yes I did" protested Elizabeth.

"You didn't" said Ed.

"No you didn't, Mum" added Anthony.

"What did I say?" asked Elizabeth.

"Strawberry" said Clive. "You said strawberry."

"No I didn't!" protested Elizabeth. "I definitely said gooseberry!"

All action ground to a halt, frozen in time as a tall youth appeared on the Jaunting pad. The boy's name was Dror, and he had travelled through time to appear in the Lab at this time. He looked round in wonder at his surroundings, before turning to the spot he'd materialised on and speaking.

"It's okay Haleh, you can come out of the sandbox now" said Dror. A very pretty petite girl, around twenty years of age, appeared as if from nowhere. She looked round.

"It looks just like the museum exhibit" said Haleh approaching TIM. "This is the biotronic that Dr Pargeter is working on. And look! Here's John! And up that ladder, that's Elizabeth! This must be just before we met them – they're wearing the same clothes."

"Are you ready to go to work?" asked Dror. Haleh quickly assessed the situation.

"Okay" said Haleh.

"Just remember not to volunteer any unnecessary information" said Dror, and with a gesture, action resumed.

"No, Liz, you definitely said straw-" said John before suddenly becoming aware of the two visitors. Everybody looked at Dror and Haleh. Dror spoke first.

"Hello" he began nervously. "I'm Dror and this is Haleh. We're here to help."

"You're another one, aren't you" said Janice looking at Dror. "A lollipop-head!"

"Janice! Really!" exclaimed Elizabeth.

"Well, look at him!" said Janice. "Listen friend, I already explained to the other two, I'm not a time - travelling criminal" she said to Dror before turning to Haleh, who seemed to be staring at her. "And what are you looking at?"

"I'm sorry" said Haleh. "I didn't mean to stare. It's just that you remind me of someone."

"Talking of staring" said Elizabeth, "you can put your eyes back in now Anthony."

"You must be Janice" said Dror. "You know Dmitri and Bethany-Christine?"

"Oh yes I know Mork and Mindy" replied Janice irritably.

"No, Dmitri and Bethany-Christine" corrected Dror.

"I know who you mean" replied Janice. "Did they send you for me?"

"No Janice" said Dror. "Actually I'm here for two reasons. The first is to bring Haleh here. She is an expert in biotronics. I understand you have a problem with your computer?"

"Yes, how did you know?" asked John.

"That's not important right now" said Dror. "Haleh is here to help. The second reason involves our friend Dmitri. He's missing, and we think he might be somewhere in this time period."

Dror explained that while returning to their own time, the sandbox that Dmitri and Bethany-Christine were travelling in became damaged. Bethany-Christine arrived injured and had to receive hospital treatment, but Dmitri was lost.

"Could he be in hyperspace?" asked Elizabeth.

"No, not hyperspace" replied Dror. "Nobody uses hyperspace anymore. Far too dangerous. Besides, we've never used hyperspace for time travel. Instead, we accelerate through the timelines. Something happened after they dropped Janice off, and he was ejected from the sandbox somewhere in this time zone."

"Well, rest assured, as soon as this young lady has finished her good work on TIM, we'll keep a look-out for him" said John.

The peace was interrupted by the sound of banging on the front door, and a raised voice on the other side.

"Janice! Are you in there? Open this door now!" The voice belonged to Richard.

"It's my brother!" said Janice. "He must have followed me!"

"Get this door open now, Jan!" yelled Richard.

"He won't go, you can be sure of that. Even if he has to sleep on the doorstep, he won't go. I know Richard" said Janice.

"Janice Rosita Marsland, open this door at once!" persisted Richard.

"Rosita?" said Anthony, mockingly.

Janice approached the door. "You'd better go now, Dror" said Janice. "My brother's very inquisitive, and he will ask some awkward questions." With that, Dror entered his sandbox and disappeared and Janice operated the manual control to let Richard in. "And the name's Parry now as well you know."

Richard stepped into the Lab and looked around in awe.

"What? What is this place?" asked Richard.

"Er, well you see, this is Elizabeth's university project" said Janice thinking quickly.

"Oh, and what is it Elizabeth?" asked Richard.

"Er, well, you see Richard, what we have here is . . . well it's hard to explain" said Elizabeth.

*Don't tell him we're telepathic. Just let him think we're ordinary people* 'pathed John to Elizabeth.

"Try me" said Richard.

"What we have here is a new type of computer, it's just that Liz can't fire it up, so she's asked Popsy over there to help out" said Ed as John glared at him. John approached Ed and took him to one side.

"What are you playing at?" John whispered to Ed.

"Relax, Johnny" Ed whispered back. "I know what I'm doing. The best lies are always based on the truth."

"So long as he doesn't twig" replied John in a whisper.

"And as usual, I'm the only one left in the dark over this, am I?" said Richard. "I take it Carol's already in on it?" This last comment subdued the group. "What's up now? Something I said?" Janice sat at the telepathy table, buried her head in her hands and began to weep uncontrollably. "Hey, little 'un, what's wrong?"

"It's Carol" said Janice. "She's gone!"

"Gone?" asked Richard. "What do you mean, gone? Gone where?"

"I'm really sorry Richard" said Elizabeth, resting her hand on his shoulder. "There was an accident. She couldn't have survived."

"What kind of accident?" asked Richard.

"Better you don't know right now" said John.

"Better I don't know!" said Richard angrily. "You quite casually tell me my little sister is dead, and then have the brassneck to say it's better I don't know how?"

"Richard, just calm down" said Janice. "This is half the reason we keep you out of things. Just sit here next to me and I'll try to explain things to you the best I can." Janice persuaded her brother to sit down and calm down, and tried, tactfully, to explain what had happened in terms that he could understand without prompting too many awkward questions.

Meanwhile, Anthony was trying to get to know Haleh a little better. She had finished her initial assessment of the damage, and had begun an inventory of items in the equipment room which she could possibly use to repair TIM.

"So you're from the future, are you?" began Anthony.

"No, I'm from the present. You're from the past. I'm just a visitor" said Haleh while she busied herself.

"That's a strange accent," said Anthony. "What is it?"

"Earth" replied Haleh.

"I know it's Earth" said Anthony. "Where else would you be from. It's just that it's a bit difficult to place. I'm normally good with accents, but can't place it. I'd say either Irish or Spanish or Russian. So where are you from?"

"Vancouver Island" replied Haleh.

"Canadian?" said Anthony.

"Sorry, what's Canadian?" asked Haleh.

"Well, you are" replied Anthony. "It's the country you're from."

"I'm from Canadian?" asked Haleh.

"No, you're from Canada. People from Canada are called Canadians" said Anthony. Haleh looked puzzled. "Canada's a country."

"Oh," said Haleh. "We don't have countries in our time. My Dad is from Tehran and my Mum's from Yamba."

"Yamba?" said Anthony. "Where's that?"

"I don't know what the country's called, but it's the big island in the southern hemisphere" said Haleh.

"Australia" said Anthony. "So you're Canadian, your dad's Iranian and your mum's Australian!"

Haleh looked at Anthony for a moment. "What a strange and confusing world you live in" said Haleh.

"So, you don't have countries, but you still have places like Tehran, Vancouver Island and . . and . . . what was the other one called?" asked Anthony.

"Yamba" said Haleh.

"So why bother with place names?" asked Anthony.

"You'll always need to know where you're going so you know how to get home" said Haleh. She took a small card from her pocket. "We don't have enough here to repair the biotronic, so I'll have to synthesise some parts." She passed her hand over the card, which began to glow. She placed the card on the floor, as all manner of strange looking components began slowly to appear around it.

"That's awesome" said Anthony as the materials appeared.

"It's basic molecular manipulation" said Haleh. "Old technology, but effective."

"So," Anthony continued, "how long have you lived in London? There still is a London, isn't there?"

"Oh, yes, there's a London, but I don't live there, only work there. I still live on Vancouver Island. Right in the middle of Victoria." said Haleh.

"That's a long way!" said Anthony. "How do you get in to work?"

"The bus" said Haleh.

"The bus?" said Anthony, amazed. "What kind of bus gets you that kind of distance?" 

"Just an ordinary bus" replied Haleh.

"What, big red thing with a diesel engine and a wheel at each corner?" said Anthony. Haleh looked puzzled.

"It's just public transport. It's really an exponential psychic amplifier. Makes it possible to teleport over long distances" said Haleh.

"A bit like TIM?" said Anthony. Haleh looked puzzled. "The computer. We use TIM to amplify our jaunts."

"Jaunts?" said Haleh. "You mean teleporting. How quaint!

"Well, no, not really" said Haleh. "Biotronic computers aren't that efficient in that respect."

"Blimey!" said Anthony. "What do you do if you want to go to another planet? Catch the train?"

"Yes, that's right" said Haleh.

"I shouldn't really be asking you about the future, should I? I mean, it's like the butterfly effect. No, not the butterfly effect . . . what do I mean" said Anthony. "I know, it's like if you went back to the days of the dinosaurs and killed a butterfly, you could affect the far future. Or if you were to kill me, then you might cease to exist. The same if you were to go back in time and save Kennedy or John Lennon."

"Anthony, I couldn't kill you or a butterfly" said Haleh. "And I don't know who Kennedy or John Lennon are."

"I know that, I know that" said Anthony. "I mean, to me your everyday life is my future. If you tell me about my future, it could unravel the fabric of time/space."

Haleh stopped what she was doing and looked at Anthony. "Anthony, I'm from thousands of years in your future. If I were to explain to you how the matter manipulator worked, could you invent it?"

"No" said Anthony.

"If I were to show you pictures of the wheel, could you make one from scratch with what you have in your own time?" said Haleh.

"We already have the wheel" said Anthony.

"Probably not the same wheel" said Haleh. "Are you seeking a relationship with me?"

"Sorry?" said Anthony.

"Are you seeking a relationship?" repeated Haleh. "Why skirt round the subject? You only have to ask."

Anthony was dumbfounded. He obviously fancied Haleh, and the advances he made reflected that fact. "Well I . . . just wondered, if you're spending any time here, if you fancy a break, that-"

"I'm sorry Anthony" said Haleh, "but the answer is no. I have to much work to do here and once it's done I have to head home before too many awkward questions are asked." Anthony looked hurt by this answer. "Oh, I've offended you. I'm sorry, I really am. I suppose that in my time, people are more blunt than in this time."

"No, it's cool. No worries" said Anthony trying to cover his embarrassment.

Inside the Lab, Richard was slowly coming to terms with the news about Carol and reminiscing with Janice.

"You know, I had no idea all this was going on. I mean why Carol? Why ordinary, unspectacular little Carol?" said Richard. Janice tried hard not to react too tellingly when Richard described Carol as ordinary. "There was this one little incident that summed her up perfectly. You know how Dad was always kidding around, well this was while Mum was expecting with you. Dad prepared breakfast for us all, and gave us each just one slice of toast with our cup of tea. Then he said that as times were hard and money was tight, we could only afford one piece of toast each, and that we'd have to sell the baby. Well, Carol did nothing more than cut her piece of toast into three, give each of us a piece, and divide the contents of her cup into ours. Then she said that she didn't need meals if it meant we didn't have to sell the baby!"

"What would Dad do now, I wonder?" said Janice. Janice looked up at the flashing screen. Suddenly, her manner changed. "I know what Dad would do" she said.

"What do you mean?" asked Richard.

"Remember what Dad always said. Look at the screen!" said Janice. Everybody looked. "Don't you get it?" Everybody looked blank. Everybody except Richard.

"Of course!" said Richard. "Good old Dad! You know what this means, don't you?"

"Yes" said Janice.

"What I don't understand is exactly what the message means" said Richard.

"I'd be happy just to know what you two are on about" said John.

Janice began to explain. "When our Dad retired from the RAF, he spent one evening a week training Air Cadets how to use radio."

"And?" asked John sceptically.

"Including Morse Code" said Richard. "He made sure all three of us had a better than basic grasp of it."

John suddenly realised. "The flashing on the screen?" he said.

"Carol's still alive!" said Janice. "I think that's one-nil to the Saps! The message on that screen reads 'Carol here in future' again and again and again".

At that point Haleh came out of the equipment room, being attracted by the raised voices.

"Has something happened?" she asked.

"We've found my sister!" said Janice. "We've found Carol!"

"Wait a minute" said Haleh. "That's who you remind me of! I have a friend called Carol. Could it be? No, the Carol I know lives in my time, that's silly."

"That must be what happened" said Elizabeth. "She must have been jolted into the future when TIM exploded. So how do we get her back?"

"I can contact Dror. He can bring her back!" said Haleh. At that point, a tall dark haired girl appeared in the Lab.

"Hello, sorry to startle" she said. "My name's Susia."

"Another one!" said Janice.

"Another what?" asked Clive.

"Another . . . you know . . . like Dror and Bethany-Christine and Dmitri!" said Janice.

"Yes" said Susia. "Has anybody seen Dmitri yet? He's still missing."

John explained to Susia what had happened and how they'd concluded that Carol was trapped in the future. He asked Susia if she could bring Carol back.

"Well, I'd like to" said Susia, "but it's not so straightforward."

"What do you mean not straightforward?" said Janice. "Just go back and fetch her. What's complicated about that?"

"So far, you only have the flimsiest suggestion that the Carol you've identified in the future is your Carol. What if she isn't and I bring her here without a licence? She could be risking prison. The only reason we were able to bring Haleh is that she's got a research licence" said Susia.

"So what's the answer?" asked John.

"You'll have to come with me to identify her. You can't be prosecuted because you're from the past" said Susia as Helen appeared on the jaunting pad.

"What the hell just happened there?" said Richard, seeing Helen materialise.

"Not right now" said Janice.

"Where are Rachel and James?" asked John.

"I saw that look in her eye. You know the one. The one that says she's just about to explode, so I decided to leave her to it. That boy's hard work" said Helen.

"Getting back to the subject" said Susia "I suggest two of you come with me."

"I'll go" said Helen.

"You don't know what you're volunteering for" said Ed.

"Too late" said Helen.

"I'll go too" said Elizabeth. "Might get next week's lottery numbers!"

Susia lead Helen to where Elizabeth stood, then the three of them disappear.

"I'll wake up in a minute" said Richard.

Rachel appeared on the jaunting pad. Next to her was an amorphous glowing mass. "Dad, it's James. Something's happened to him. I think he's ill."

John approached James. Gradually, the amorphous form resolved itself and James collapsed into John's arms.

"Dmitri!" said Janice. "That's Dmitri!"

"His name's James" said Elizabeth.

"No," said Janice "he's Dmitri! He's the one the lolli . . . Dror has been looking for!"


End file.
